The Bridge of Grace
A grudge is like attempting to poison someone else, but drinking the poison yourself.
Forgive
God’s commands around forgiveness are pretty clear and straightforward, and yet why do so many of us struggle with it?
Often, we are urged to forgive without allowing the healthy processing of feelings.
We may fear that forgiving someone means we accept their behavior as okay or that we are somehow saying their wrongdoing doesn’t matter anymore.
The reality is forgiveness liberates me from bitterness and hard-heartedness, even if the other person never changes.
“We win by tenderness. We conquer by forgiveness.” Frederick W. Robertson
I may have to say to the Lord I am willing to be willing, but I choose to make the step of faith toward forgiveness.
This small step of faith is all you are asking from me, and I give it freely.
Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. (Luke 6:36)
If you struggle with forgiveness today I pray after reading this devotion you are encouraged to do the right thing and forgive.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
The Bond of Peace
Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:3)
After I confronted my friend by email over a matter on which we had differed, she didn’t respond. Had I overstepped? I didn’t want to worsen the situation by pestering her, but neither did I want to leave things unresolved before she went on a trip overseas. As she popped into my mind throughout the following days, I prayed for her, unsure of the way forward. Then one morning I went for a walk in our local park and saw her, pain etched on her face as she glimpsed me. “Thank You, Lord, that I can talk to her,” I breathed as I approached her with a welcoming smile. We talked openly and were able to resolve matters.
Sometimes when hurt or silence intrudes on our relationships, mending them seems out of our control. But as the apostle Paul says in his letter to the church at Ephesus, we are called to work for peace and unity through God’s Spirit, donning the garments of gentleness, humility, and patience as we seek God’s healing in our relationships. The Lord yearns for us to be united, and through His Spirit He can bring His people together—even unexpectedly when we go walking in the park.
Have you experienced an unexpected encounter that revealed God working in a situation? How might you work toward peace and unity today?
When I read this I couldn’t help but think this was meant for me and I pray someone out there is touched as I was. Just today I said to my husband, I just can’t forget what they did and how they chose to handle the situation and my husband’s wise response was, is the frustration and hurt you are harboring in your heart worth missing eternity over and I started to cry, no one or thing or hurt is worth missing eternity over. Then I sit down after a busy day to do the devotion and God drops this right in my lap. So as I face this individual I will choose to work for peace and unity through God’s Spirit, not my own doing, donning the garments of gentleness, humility, and patience as I seek God’s healing in my relationships. My prayer today is that someone reading this can also find closure in a situation and rise above it.
Have a wonderful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Ephesians 4:1-6
Should I Forgive?
Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. (Colossians 3:13)
I arrived early at my church to help set up for an event. A woman stood crying at the opposite end of the sanctuary. She’d been cruel and gossiped about me in the past, so I quickly drowned out her sobs with a vacuum cleaner. Why should I care about someone who didn’t like me?
When the Holy Spirit reminded me how much God had forgiven me, I crossed the room. The woman shared that her baby had been in the hospital for months. We cried, embraced, and prayed for her daughter. After working through our differences, we’re now good friends.
In Matthew 18, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a king who decided to settle his accounts. A servant who owed a staggering amount of money pleaded for mercy. Soon after the king canceled his debt, that servant tracked down and condemned a man who owed him far less than what he’d owed the king. When word got back to the king, the wicked servant was imprisoned because of his own unforgiving spirit (vv. 23–34).
Choosing to forgive doesn’t condone sin, excuse the wrongs done to us, or minimize our hurts. Offering forgiveness simply frees us to enjoy God’s undeserved gift of mercy, as we invite Him to accomplish beautiful works of peace-restoring grace in our lives and our relationships.
Have a wonderful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Matthew 18:23-35